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Abstract
Background
Metallic nanorods are promising agents for a wide range of biomedical applications. In this study, we developed an optical hyperthermia method capable of inducing in vitro death of glioblastoma cells.
Methods
The procedure used was based on irradiation of gold nanorods with a continuous wave laser. This kind of nanoparticle converts absorbed light into localized heat within a short period of time due to the surface plasmon resonance effect. The effectiveness of the method was determined by measuring changes in cell viability after laser irradiation of glioblastoma cells in the presence of gold nanorods.
Results
Laser irradiation in the presence of gold nanorods induced a significant decrease in cell viability, while no decrease in cell viability was observed with laser irradiation or incubation with gold nanorods alone. The mechanism of cell death mediated by gold nanorods during photothermal ablation was analyzed, indicating that treatment compromised the integrity of the cell membrane instead of initiating the process of programmed cell death.
Conclusion
The use of gold nanorods in hyperthermal therapies is very effective in eliminating glioblastoma cells, and therefore represents an important area of research for therapeutic development.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Reina Sofia Foundation. This work was also supported by a European Union EXCELL grant (NMP4-SL-2008-214706) and a Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation grant TEC2009-14272. Dainora Jaloveckas (http://cienciatrad.wordpress.com/) participated in the review of the manuscript.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.